The Big Lebowski

More than just a character actor, Steve Buscemi has that certain… something. His distinctive look and offbeat energy set the tone of a movie like few actors can, and his one-of-a-kind mug makes a big impact onscreen—even when it’s just in a cameo appearance. No wonder Joel and Ethan Coen love casting him in their movies; he’s able to sum up their signature creepy/weird/funny style in just one shot. Here are five movies from the Coen brothers that show how Buscemi is like their cinematic soulmate.

There are few things as exciting in Hollywood as a hot, young talent on the rise. Because of that, few things feel as tragic as the news that another cinematic star has left us far too soon. Here are ten stars who took their final bows while they were still way too young.

Julianne Moore remains one of the most versatile and talented actresses in the last twenty years. Whether she works in an ensemble or as the principal star, she pushes boundaries in her performances. With yet another Oscar nomination this year for “Still Alice,” we look back at some of her strongest work, including “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia”,” and “Far From Heaven.

Movies often become defined by their soundtracks—by musical choices so electric, they make individual sequences feel like epic movies themselves. (Think "Pixies" crooning over the opening scene of "Watchmen.") Some movies go the extra mile, though, and feature made-for-the-screen bands with musicians that are entirely fictional but which we only wish were putting out platinum albums on the regular.

In 2012, actor-writer-director-all-around-indie-MVP Mark Duplass completed yet another project: recommending a streaming movie on Netflix every day for one year. Here are Duplass’ top 10 selections from his hundreds of suggestions that year, nabbed from his Twitter handle @MarkDuplass, including “The Big Lebowski” and “This is Spinal Tap.”

Everyone has a favorite Beatles song. And if there’s a Beatles song for everyone, why can’t there be a Coen brothers movie for everyone? After the shocking brilliance of their debut BLOOD SIMPLE., Joel and Ethan Coen followed up with RAISING ARIZONA, proving that they could make comedy just as well as crime drama and violence that actually has a point (most of the time). Since then, they’ve done just about everything in between.